The first flight configuration of the giant Saturn C-1 rocket is seen at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, N.A.S.A. Huntsville, Ala. The C-1 will be capable of placing about 10 tons into low earth orbit. 

Moffett Field, Calif.—Significant advances in charting the details of super-sonic aerodynamics plus new transonic research techniques were revealed in the second biennial inspection of the Ames Memorial Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. More than 800 aircraft manufacturing executives and engineers plus top Tanking Air Force and Naval Aviation brass attended the two-day session. 

A more distinct detailed picture of the aerodynamic phenomena encountered in the range between Mach .8 and Mach 2.0 has emerged as a result of the last year's NACA research in this previously undefined area. Most important advance of the year—the first piloted supersonic flights by USAF and NACA test pilots in the Bell X-1 rocket powered research plane—was significantly omitted from any of the discussions. 

► Sweep vs Straight—Perhaps the most interesting delineation offered by the NACA researchers was the assignment of proper places to swept back and straight wings in the supersonic picture. 

The supersonic flights of the X-1 proved it is possible to achieve these speeds with extremely thin, straight wings. But wind tunnel research and flight test data indicate that the swept back wing still offers the most promising possibilities in the transonic range between Mach. 0.8 and about Mach 1.8. 

In this area the sweep back of the wing delays the formation of shock waves across the wing allowing a subsonic airflow over the wing while the aircraft is travelling at supersonic speeds. 

At about Mach 1.8 the shock waves catch up with the swept back wing and send drag soaring beyond the capabilities of any power plants that are likely to be available in the foreseeable future. 

A straight wing encounters shock waves below Mach 1.0. Above Mach 1.8 the straight wing becomes more efficient than the swept back wing. 

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Aviation Week | July 26, 1948

California Research Laboratory: Air view of Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, West Coast research center of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The $23,000,000 plant occupies part of the Navy's Moffett Field at the lower end of San Francisco Bay. Principal peacetime work at Ames will be basic research in high-speed aerodynamics. Shown above are (1) administration building, (2) science laboratory, (3) technical service building, (4) 40- by 80-ft. wind tunnel, (5) power substation, (6) 12-ft. pressure wind tunnel, (7) utilities building, (8) 16-ft. high-speed wind tun-nel, (9) 1- by 3-ft. supersonic speed wind tunnel, (10) 7- by 10-ft. wind tunnel No. 1, (11) model finishing shop, (12) 7- by 10-ft. wind tunnel No. 2, (13) flight research laboratory, (14) plane hangar and shop (under construction). 

APOLLO 9 EVA—Astronaut Schweickart took this photo from the porch of the "Spider" of Astronaut Scott standing in the open hatch of the Command Module "Gumdrop." Inside the "Spider" was Astronaut James A. McDivitt. 

Full size model of Apollo Command Module on display at, Visitors Information Center. Kennedy Space Center. Note size comparison to Explorer 1. 

Scientist-Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt working beside a huge boulder at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The front portion of the Lunar Roving Vehicle is visible on the left. 

Skylab artist's concept of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Skylab cluster circling 270 miles above the earth, Skylab is a manned experimental space station which contains crew quarters and experiment areas. Skylab, 118 feet in length, contains about the same volume as moderate two-bedroom house. 

Mission operation control room at the Manned Spacecraft Center 25 miles south of Houston, Texas. From this room all Astronaut flight information is fed out to the tracking stations around the world.

Pacific Recovery Area. Navy Pararescueman and one of the three Apollo 11 astronauts close spacecraft hatch while the other two space pilots watch from life raft after splashdown on July 24, 1969. The pararescueman helped the astronauts from the spacecraft and disinfected them after they donned biological isolation garments. 

Marine Lieutenant Colonel John Glenn in his space suit prior to his successful orbit of the Earth in the Friendship 7, February 20, 1962. 

The Apollo 17 crew pose on the Lunar Roving Vehicle. Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan sits at the controls, Dr. Harrison "Jack" Schmitt left, and Command Module Pilot Donald A. Evans. 

Gemini 12 spacecraft piloted by Astronauts Lovell and Aldrin, rendezvous with the Agena Target Vehicle. 

The Apollo 7 spacecraft, atop a Saturn IB rocket, lifts off from Complex 34. The spacecraft achieved orbit to begin an 11-day mission. The flight is intended to qualify Apollo for a manned flight to the moon. 

DELTA No. 11, launched from Cape Kennedy by N.A.S.A., for the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, to orbit TELSTAR 1, AT&T's experimental communication satellite. 

NASA's KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLORIDA. Man's first look at orbiting Space Craft during rendezvous maneuvers. 

LUNAR MODULE - This is the type of Vehicle that will place American Astronauts on the Moon. 

Astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford in the Gemini 6 spacecraft rendezvous with Astronauts Frank Borman and James Lovell in Gemini 7 a hundred miles above the earth.